The outlook for the motor industry is positive according to the latest Motoring Report from car buying experts Carzone. The bi-annual index which examines trends in the Irish motoring market, finds that 47% of Sligo people plan to buy a car in the next year. The Carzone Motoring Report is compiled by analysing data from the 108 million searches carried out on Carzone in the first 10 months of the year, as well as an in depth survey of 1,610 Irish motorists nationwide.

Buying a car in 2017

Of those Irish motorists planning to buy a car in 2017, 28% say they intend to spend €10,000 - €20,000 while a significant 27% say they will spend between €20,00 and €40,000. Given that over 1 in 4 Irish motorists are planning to spend up to €40,000, it’s no surprise that 2016 is the most searched for year at 16% while 2012 is the second most popular year at 10%.

According to the Carzone Motoring Report, a quarter of Irish motorists will use savings to buy a car next year while 1 in 5 intend to take out a loan from a Credit Union and 13% will look at a finance option such as PCP indicating that all finance options are on the rise.

Of those Irish motorists planning to sell their car next year, over 1 in 5 (22%) will do so online while 37% will sell their car as part of a trade-in. In general, men are more confident about selling their car online than women (49% vs. 29%)

The impact of Brexit on the motoring industry for Sligo motorists remains to be seen, a resounding 91% of those questioned say that it has not impacted or delayed their decision to buy a car next year.

The cost of running a car

The cost of car insurance is now the number one financial concern for Irish motorists up two places from last year. Fuel, last year’s number one issue, is now second while motor tax is third. Interestingly Sligo did not differ from the National Average in this regard.

Given that fuel is a key concern, it’s no surprise that 68% say the most recent car they purchased is diesel up 14% from 2015 while 32% have a petrol car down 13% year-on-year.

When it comes to running a car, the Carzone Motoring Report reveals that over half (54%) spend up to €250 per month on car costs such as fuel, tax, insurance, repairs and servicing while 14% spend in excess of €300 per month.

The report also finds that over half prefer to pay tax and insurance in lump sums (53% and 58% respectively). Just under a third 32% say the opt to pay their motor tax quarterly while 41% pay their insurance by monthly direct debit. 53% of 18-34 year olds opt to pay via direct debit.

Ireland’s most searched for cars

The Volkswagen Golf remains the most searched for used car on Carzone. However, the Ford Focus which featured in second place last year, has been moved down to fifth place. New to the top six this year is the Audi A4 and the Mercedes E-Class indicating the growth of the premium used car market. In Sligo, Audi was the most searched for car marque in 2016, with the Audi A6 being the most searched for car model. Black was the most popular searched colour amongst Sligo motorists.

In keeping with concerns around fuel costs, 81% searched for a diesel car on Carzone (+3% year-on-year) while searches for petrol cars remained flat at 16% vs. 17% in 2015. The report also notes that sales for petrol/electric hybrids are up 58% compared to the same period last year while electric car sales increased 94% year-on-year.

Learning to drive

On average the majority of Sligo people learned to drive between the ages of 17-20 (52%) while 22% claim they learned to drive before the legal age of 17! Just over half (74%) passed their test first time around. The survey finds that of Irish motorists surveyed slightly more men passed first time than women (59% vs. 51%).

Commenting on the latest report, Ailish Tully, Brand Manager Carzone said, “This is the seventh Carzone Motoring Report and this time around we wanted to look at the year ahead and consumer sentiment. The report finds that overall the outlook for the industry is positive with almost 47% of Sligo motorists questioned planning to buy a car in the next year. It was also interesting to see that newer models were some of the most searched for cars by Irish motorists in the first 10 months of the year and that over 1 in 4 are willing to spend between €20,000 - €40,000. This higher price point is also reflected in our car searches with a number of premium marques such as BMW, Audi and Mercedes featuring in the top six for Irish motorists.

The report also finds that the cost of insurance, tax and fuel remain a key concern for car buyers and just under half of consumers spread the cost of their tax and insurance rather than pay it off in one go. In particular, we see those under 35 opting for this payment method. While the impact of Brexit on the industry remains to be seen, the average consumer says it will not deter them from buying a car next year.”